The Sun Can Never be Hidden
by Shelbylou
Summary: A night out with the team turns into a nightmare after Tim responds to an attack. Little did he know, that fateful night would turn his life upside down and put everyone he loves and cares about in peril - Story written for Enthusiastic fish as part of the 2012 White Elephant Exchange on NFA Community.
1. Chapter 1

**Prompt: the Sun. Gen - Tim-centered (with the team). Casefile.**

**A/N – Big thanks to my beta _Gottahavemyncis _and to Donna and the girls for your invaluable support. Writing this story has been hard going due to illness killing my drive to write**

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The sun can never be hidden...

"_Three things cannot be long hidden. The sun, the moon and the truth"_

_Buddha_

He took in the sights and smells of the courtroom with a heavy heart. The rich mahogany of the wood panelling that made up both the Judge's bench and the witness stand that sat you slightly lower at 'Gods' side should you fall prey to the clutches of predators that wanted your blood. At the other side sat the court reporter, hidden behind the protection of the desk, transcribing the statements on a stenotype computer that would provide the official court document that will be stored away securely.

He sighed at the thought of 'God' and realised that he'd just compared the judge to a higher being; truth be told, in this room with the Court clerks, the defendants' and plaintiffs' tables, and the grandeur, the judge _was_the higher being. His word, or in this case her word, was gospel in here. Sure, everyone else was there for a reason but the law was withheld by the stoic woman sitting holding a wooden gavel. With a heavy heart, he gazed around and scanned the jury before turning his attention to the hard faced criminal who had committed the torrid crime he had seen; the very crime that lay heavily in his heart and replayed night, after night in his dreams. His gut curled making him feel nauseated and clammy. He knew what he'd been told prior to coming to the court room but still, nerves were getting the better of him and right now he felt like he did when he started working with Gibbs, Tony and Kate all those years ago.

"Special Agent McGee." Tim looked up at the kindly face of the sick SOB's lawyer and knew that it was a ruse. No matter how nice they appeared, they wanted one thing...to discount his testimony and statement. "I understand you _thought_ you saw my client on the night of the event. Ple..."

"Objection your honor. Agent McGee did not _think_ he saw anything. He is here to testify, not have his character questioned." Tim glanced at the DA gratefully and sighed to calm his nerves.

"Sustained. Mr. Novachek, do not try and discredit the witnesses in such a manner."

"Of course. I apologise. Mr. McGee..."

"Your honor!" The DA looked furious at Novachek's obvious slight and stood there fervently trying to make the opposing lawyer toe the line.

"Mr. Novachek, you are trying my patience already. You know the witness' title and status so please give it the respect that it is due."

"Again, my apologies, it was a Freudian slip. _Agent_ McGee, please go through what happened on the night in question."

Tim sucked in a breath and nodded. "On the night of the 4th of February, We, sorry, my team and I had been out for a team dinner. I was walking back to my car when I heard a commotion in the alleyway and went to investigate..."

"By investigate, you mean you walked down there. May I ask whether you were armed?" Novachek turned and walked towards the table he shared with his client.

"Yes sir, I was."

"Your gun?"

"Yes, Sir. That and the knife that I carry."The lawyer was thoughtful and remained silent for a moment. It was long enough for Tim to glance over at Gan Boontham and watched as the Thai gang member pulled at his shirt collar. As the starched material moved slightly and they were given a glimpse of the identifying tattoo as it shone through bright and clear. _The sun...Why did they choose the sun? _Tim thought and swallowed harshly at the fact that he was now a target for the Fai gang that had wheedled its way into Washington over the years.

"Agent McGee. Are you alright?" Judge Jenny McLaine was known for being ruthless but gentle and it occurred to Tim that he must have been sitting there lost in his own thoughts. "Would you like a short break?"

"Sorry? Oh...no. Thank you, your honor. Please can you repeat the question?" Tim directed at Novachek, painfully aware that he had become lost in his thoughts and missed what was being said.

"Of course. Please can you tell me whether or not you were drinking at the meal?"

Tim shook his head. "No sir. I very rarely drink. I had a glass of diet coke with my meal and the soda that Special Agent Gibbs bought for me. That was all."

"I see. So you didn't indulge in a glass of wine from the bottle that was purchased or drink the bourbon that I believe Agent Gibbs purchased for everyone?"

"No sir, I did not. The bottle of wine was shared between my other team members and Dr. Mallard drank my finger of bourbon. As I said, I'm not a big drinker and had plans to drive down to visit my family on the Saturday so I wanted to keep a clear head."

Novachek frowned and nodded his head. "Thank you for clearing that up. So what happened when you went down the Alley? You said you were armed, but mentioned a knife. Please can you explain?"

"I usually carry two knives with me but that morning I was in a rush and forgot to strap one to my belt. "

"And where to you carry the other?"

"In an ankle sheath and as I mentioned before, the other on my belt. I put the ankle sheath on with my socks and holstered my weapon. In my haste, my other knife was left in the gun safe I keep at my apartment."

"And did you unsheathe that knife or use it at any given time?"

"No sir, I did not."

The frown returned and Novachek made his way over to the stand that Tim was sitting. "So, you went into a situation blind despite having the resources to defend yourself there? Isn't that a tad impulsive?"

Tim felt himself bristle at that comment knowing that the lawyer was trying to un-nerve him. He shook his head. "No sir, in all honesty, what would it make me if I had ignored the pleas for help?"

"Understood. But still, you were unaware of any other people that may have been hidden and with only a Sig Sauer and a knife as your backup." Novachek sighed heavily. "Please tell me what you saw when you entered the alleyway."

The memories of that night came flooding back and Tim found himself describing what he had seen in a detail that mirrored his statement.

_Flashback..._

_The night was pleasantly warm with a breeze that flitted over his skin as he walked. It was perfect. 'The perfect end to the day' he thought as his mind took him back to the point that they'd found the murderous wife of a Marine who had been deployed a month before. The case was just awful though, with the victim being a young Private that had extra marital affairs with the deployed husband. Of course DADT would be in play now and came in the year before, but the wife _had_ found out about the affair and gone after her husband's lover, effectively murdering him. She was now behind bars awaiting trial and the fact that the case had been cracked after a long 2 weeks. That was cause for celebration and an outlet was deemed necessary to help ease the frustration and stress that they'd all been under as the late nights caught up with them making them snipe at each other. Even the Boss had been with them and had bought them all a round of bourbon, which was unusual but strangely nice despite him handing it to Ducky. The boss had just smiled and stalked off to order him a soda and with a grin of understanding, handed it over and raised his own glass in a silent toast._

_With a grin, he remembered the conversation he'd had with Tony. For the first time ever he'd rendered the clown speechless with a comment about the cross dresser he had tongued all those years ago. He chuckled to himself before frowning at the sound of a shrill scream coming from the darkened alleyway in front of him. With a start, he started to run, all instincts telling him to call for backup but not wanting to stop if someone needed help. Tim reached for his weapon and held it tightly in his hands as he ran in. What he saw as he rounded the corner made his heart stutter slightly; he had no choice but to watch as a blade glinting in the artificial light slashed deeply against the throat of the beautiful young woman before he could do anything to help.…_

_Present day…_

"The victim was murdered in front of me and I froze. I was too late to save her, but that hesitation very nearly cost me my life." Tim subconsciously rubbed at his shoulder where one of the bullets fired had sliced through the muscle.

"You were injured. Tell me, why didn't you fire your weapon?" Novachek did not miss the hand that went to one of the healing wounds and decided to use it to his advantage.

"I hesitated. I…I'll admit that much but there really wasn't anything I could do to save the victim. I was too late."

"So, had you arrived at the scene earlier, you would have been able to save her? Hmm..I have to wonder whether your hesitation did actually cost someone their life in this situation."

"OBJECTION! Your Honor. There is no way Special Agent McGee could have known what was happening before the victim screamed and he arrived as the victim was being murdered."

"Sustained. We are not in the business of guesswork, Counselor."

Novachek nodded slightly. "Withdrawn. Okay so you saw the victim being murdered. What happened then?"

Tim sucked in a nervous breath. "I announced who I was and realised that there were people waiting in the shadows. In total, I counted five but only recognise the defendant. There was one security light in the alley and the others were in shadow."

"Is it possible that you might have been mistaken? That you didn't really get a good look at the defendant?"

Tim shook his head. "No sir. The defendant is the man I saw murder the woman. There is evidence to that fact as well and evidence doesn't lie."

"Hmm…Okay. What happened then?"

_Flashback…_

"_NCIS!" Tim didn't know what made him shout that out but it was all he had. He had to take down this murderous wretch and make sure he atoned for what he had just done. He glanced down at the woman with a hope that she would be okay, but the blood was spurting and it was obvious that the blood loss and the fact that she was not moving was a clear sign she was gone. "Freeze!"_

_Chatter…lots of it. It filled the alley with a language that Tim didn't understand and that's when fear gripped his heart. There was more than one of them and a moment later, he watched in horror as eight men moved towards him. The man that had killed the woman dropped her unceremoniously with a wretched grin and sharp words were spoken. One of the men; a big burly Asian man with the same tattoo that he'd noticed on the perpetrator's left shoulder peeking out of the confines of the vest that he wore. It was that distraction, which caused the first injury. He was so engaged in trying to figure out what the ink meant that he did not have a chance to react as the bullet tore through his right shoulder and knocked him backwards onto his backside…_

_Present day…._

"So when you were shot, what did you do then?" Novachek asked softly, deceptively so, and Tim couldn't quite bring himself to trust the man.

"I didn't have time to think so I raised my weapon and shot him in the shoulder."

"That must have been difficult given your injury taking out your shooting arm." The small sneer did not go amiss and if anything made Tim more at ease at correcting him.

"No sir, I'm left handed. I shot the shooter, but it didn't take long for the other members of the gang to surround me. The last thing I remember is someone pressing their foot into my shoulder wound before I was kicked in the head. I was knocked unconscious and don't know what happened after that."

Novachek nodded, his lips set in a thin line as he shook his head. "Thank you, Special Agent McGee. No more questions your honor."

Tim sighed with relief and hung his head slightly as his shoulder throbbed unmercifully. He missed the exchange between the DA and the judge, but soon found himself being dismissed from the stand. Rather than stay in the courtroom, the urge to be outside and in the fresh air overwhelmed him and after thanking the judge quietly, he made his way out of the courtroom and through the large doors to the courthouse. He finally felt relief at escaping the cloying atmosphere of the courtroom and sank down on the steps nervously.

"You alright, McGee?" Gibbs asked and sat down next to his Agent.

"Yeah. I'm okay. Just…Boss I'm a target more now than ever. If he's found guilty, the chances are he'll be sentenced to death or life at high security. Either way, the gang won't let it drop."

Gibbs nodded his head and watched as Ziva and Tony took point by standing directly in front of them. Ziva's eyes darted around the area before she turned and smiled at Tim. "And neither will we, McGee. We will not let them get to you."

"Thanks Ziva, but I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about my family and my friends. You're all in danger too, you know."

"Then you know what we do, McGoo? Protection! We're not gonna let anything happen to you or your family…or to any of us, and we're sure as hell going to fight back if anything hits the fan."

Tim looked at Tony before glancing around at the rest of his team. All he saw at that moment was a firm resolve to keep him safe and he felt a moment of security and safety that only came from having people he trusted, to have his six.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N...Hi everyone. Sorry for not replying to your reviews individually, I promise I will get round to it. I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you that has reviewed, flagged and enjoyed this story. It is very much appreciated :)_  
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**The sun can never be hidden - Chapter 2**

Another day dawned fresh and new over DC and Tim found himself laying there in the unfamiliar bedroom, wondering how the hell his life had become so complicated and dangerous. Even the danger at NCIS did not compare to what he was going through now and the fact that the danger weaved its way down to his family made it all the more worse. With a sigh, he sat up and thought about his family and the way his dad had reacted when he told him. The whole conversation had been…surreal? If that was the right word. It had left him reeling with shock at the affection that was there at first, only to have it turned around to anger once the Admiral knew the situation. All of a sudden, something burst forth in his mind and had him reaching for his phone to dial the number of the person that hadn't even crossed his mind. What kind of person was he? How could he forget?

"Timothy! It's good to hear from you."

Tim sighed with relief at the chipper voice of his paternal grandmother. "Hi Penny. Are you…is everything okay?"

"Apart from the guard dog Special Agent Gibbs has on me, I'm fine. What in the world is going on? You know how much of a free spirit I am, young man."

That made him laugh. Yes, his grandmother certainly did like her freedom and always had. Relief washed over him and he found himself being grateful to his Boss for covering every angle. "It's a long story, Penny. I…I…"

"Timothy, please. You're stuttering and I know you only do that when nervous or afraid. What is it?"

"Sorry. What did Gibbs tell you?"

"Only that I was under protection. I didn't have much choice in the matter at all. You know, that man is a force to be reckoned with."

"Always." Tim replied quietly and sat back on the bed with his back leaning against the headboard. "Long story short, I witnessed a murder and I'm now the target of a Thai gang that has infiltrated the crime scene here in DC. We are not sure how long their reach is, so everyone has protection for the time being because…Penny I don't want anyone getting hurt on my account. If it comes to it, I'm more than willing to hand myself over to them to keep you all safe."

The silence was deafening as Penny processed the information. "No! No you won't! I won't allow it, Timothy. You hear me? I forbid you to do that!"

"If it keeps everyone safe…"

"At what cost? Timothy McGee, you listen to me. I am your grandmother and know that your family mean the world to you…and yes, that includes your friends at NCIS…but you are just as important to us. You will abide by what Gibbs tells you and you will NOT hand yourself over."

Tim sighed heavily and found himself nodding even though his grandmother couldn't see the action. "It's the last resort. I was in court yesterday testifying. We got news last night that the  
Jury deliberated for less than an hour. Gan Boontham was sentenced to life imprisonment at a max security prison without the possibility of parole. I don't know where he is in the hierarchy of the gang, but I can't imagine that they're going to leave it be. I've already had death threats against me and everyone I care for. That was before the trial but now…now they will want revenge. If this guy was a top dog, it'll be a power play but the fact that he's alive, just means he can still call the shots from behind bars."

"Honey, he's in a max security prison. How can he call the shots? Surely he's under close scrutiny."

"That's not always the case. Money buys a lot including loyalty and if he sets himself up as one of the key players in there, then it could get messy. Just please, Penny be careful. Sarah's with me, Mom and Dad have a full team on them and are as safe as they can be. They're talking about a long vacation but it was vetoed by the Director on the grounds that we can't protect them once they're on a plane and out of our jurisdiction."

He heard Penny sigh on the other end and knew his words had hit home.

"And you? Where are you, Timothy? Who's looking after my favourite grandson?"

"You're only grandson, Penny."

Penny snorted on the other end and chuckled. "Hence the fact that you are my favourite. Answer the question."

Tim smiled warmly at her comment and felt something release in his chest at her protectiveness and love. "Gibbs' house. We're both here with Tony and Ziva. They are all playing watchdog with the Boss inside the house and there are two men on the front and back at Vance's request. Sarah's not too happy to be here and it's driving her crazy. Abby and Palmer are at Ducky's with a big burly team protecting them and the director has sent his family away for the duration."

"The Director? Really? Okay...I don't know what to make of these measures but it sounds like everyone is covered. Sarah will be crawling out of her skin, I'm sure. She's just like me in that respect and don't forget she has to study. Tell her that if it keeps her safe, then to stay put but she mustn't skimp on her education so must do what she can from Gibbs' house."

"I will. Okay, I'm going now for coffee and breakfast. I'll ring you later."

"You better! I want to know you're okay. I'll speak to you later sweetheart. Love you."

"Love you too, Grandma." Tim said with a grin and laughed outright at the indignant huff. "Just kidding. Love you too, Penny." He said his goodbyes and hung up his phone before following the smell of freshly brewed coffee to the kitchen where everyone sat looking tired, and drawn. Tim walked straight to his sister and kissed her on the head before getting a coffee and taking a seat around the small table.

"Morning." He said quietly and couldn't help but smile at the grumbled greetings he got in return. He looked at Sarah and noticed the glare that she shot in his direction. "Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine this morning, sis. What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, apart from the fact that I can't go to my lecture. This sucks, Tim!"

"Sarah, it's for your own safety. The least amount of time you spend outside, the better; be truthful, how many of these lectures have you skipped in the past month."

"None! I like this course!"

Tim scoffed and took a sip of his coffee. He knew for a fact she had skipped out on a couple and that it wouldn't really affect her in any big way. She always managed to catch up no matter what. "Liar. Look, maybe you can get back to your lectures tomorrow, but right now, I need you here. Just humour me okay?"

"I haven't got any lectures tomorrow, Tim. My next class is a couple of days away but whatever. At least do me a favour and tell whoever is babysitting me today to leave me alone to work on my paper."

Tim glanced at Gibbs and nodded. "Penny wouldn't be happy if you didn't. I just spoke to her and she sends her love."

Sarah nodded and stood up. "Cool. I'm going to go and make a start." With that, she stormed out of the kitchen to make her way upstairs, hopefully to plan her escape route, but with the amount of security on her, she knew that was going to be a lost cause.

*****NCIS*****

They all stepped off the elevator and into the familiarity of the orange walls of the squad room. They were bone weary and any chance of running out for coffee got vetoed by the security detail, leaving Gibbs cranky and on edge. Luckily, one of the agents who had flanked them right up to the door, offered to go and get it so they knew it would not be long before the beast was tamed.

"Damn I'm tired and you just know we're gonna be on cold cases till this is done with." Tony said as he sat down. "This is gonna suck! I had a date with a pretty blond tonight. Yeah, not anymore."

Ziva dumped her backpack at her desk and scowled his way. "We are all in the same ship, Tony so stop complaining."

"Boat, Zeevah. It's boat and yeah, I got that when I was told we were having a pyjama party at the Boss' house. You got off lucky; you bunked in with Sarah. The floor wasn't comfortable and you do realise Gibbs snores right?" Tony frowned and got thoughtful for a moment "Scrap that, I got lucky. You snore like a drunken sailor so it's Sarah we should be worrying about."

"I'll have you know, I found a solution to that little problem and it works wonderfully. I haven't had any complaints since I was forced to share a room with you and come to think of it, I'm still not convinced it was your gun that was poking in my thigh."

Tony sputtered and choked on the water he had just drunk and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. It was my KNIFE!"

"Can it!" Gibbs ordered and went to each of his agents desks to drop a file there. "Cold cases till further notice and we're off rotation for any new cases. You think things are bad now, wait till the end of the week."

"Oh man." Tony wined and turned to say something to Tim. He paused when he saw the look on his Probie's face and frowned. "Probiewan. You alright?"

Tim didn't answer, but was staring at a letter he had just opened. "PROBIE!...TIM!...Boss?"

Gibbs made his way over rapped his knuckles on Tim's desk. "McGee! You with us?"

"I…Boss, this…I…I'm…" He couldn't form the words he needed to say and held out the letter for his Boss to read. Gibbs took it with a frown and noticed the letterhead had a picture of an elaborate sun. He frowned and cocked his head until he realised that it was the same as the sun depicted in the gang tats.

"Where was this?"

"M…My desk when I came in. After Tony opened….I thought it was safe." Tim whispered as an afterthought. "I opened it and…"

"McGee, Focus! Do you know what this means?"

Tim shook his head before sighing heavily. "I know it's the same as the tattoo but I don't know its significance. For all I know it's just their way of marking the people in the gang. The text is a Buddhist quote and I can only surmise what it means."

Gibbs handed the letter back and shirked his head towards the plasma. "Put it on the big screen"

Tim took the letter and set about scanning it in for all to see. It wasn't long before it was displayed on the large screen plasma for Tony and Ziva to see.

**Three things cannot be long hidden: The sun, the moon and the truth.**

"Jesus. What does that mean?" Tony asked as he read the note. "And isn't that the tat the guy in court had? I saw a bit of it poking over his collar."

"Yeah." Tim re-read the quote again and moved to stand in front of the plasma. "I don't know for sure, but that quote is from Buddha. I kind of read it as a threat to be honest. The sun reference is obvious, it's linked to the gang. They can't or won't be hidden away and won't let this situation drop. The moon…I don't know. That one's obscure…"

"Maybe they are making veiled threats." Ziva offered. "They will not rest until their friend is avenged in some way. They will not stop whether it is day or night and somehow, they think that the truth…but you told the truth. I do not understand that one I'm afraid."

"Me neither. Maybe they think I'm lying or have lied. This gang has grown over the years and there were only a few guys in the alley. Maybe their version of events doesn't marry with mine and they've lied to cover up the killing or make it look as though we're framing them. It was cold blooded murder whichever way you cut it, but maybe they don't want to accept that."

"Whatever it is, I'm with Ziva. For now none of you go anywhere without a partner and rule #9 now includes your gun!"

"Don't take anything for granted…yowch! Thanks Boss." Tony rubbed the back of his head and shrugged when Tim smiled. "Okay McBrain, which rule is nine?"

"Never go anywhere without a knife." Tim answered quietly. "But rule #8 would be a good one to remember too."

"That's the 'never take anything for granted' right?"

Gibbs glared at Tony and sat down at his desk. "DiNozzo, while we're on cold cases, you might wanna take a look at the rules as well. I know you all have em' written down somewhere."

Tony blushed and walked to his desk. As he sat down, he noticed the glare had turned to a smirk and had to work hard to supress a grin. "Yes, Boss. On it, Boss."

For the first time that morning, Tim smiled at the familiar interaction, but the note had unnerved him more than he'd let on. It put him on an edge that he didn't like and his concentration was pretty much shot. With a sigh, he turned back to the file on his desk and set a couple of searches going.

"Hey, McGee." Tim glanced up and frowned at Gibbs. The Boss hadn't gone back to his desk, but stood in front of Tim's looking concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Boss. I'm fine." He tried to smile and just about managed a small quirk of his lips. He knew he had not gotten away with hiding how scared he was. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his hand through his hair. "I'm just worried. Scared and worried. I want everyone to be safe but it's looking less and less likely."

"Hang in there. We will get through this. We always do."

"I'll try."

Gibbs walked to stand beside Tim and laid his hand on his Agent's shoulder. He squeezed it gently before bending down to whisper in Tim's ear.

"Officially, we're on cold cases. Unofficially? Look at the back of the file." With that, he stood up and walked away. Tim frowned slightly and skipped through the information to go to the back of the file he'd been handed. Sitting there, was a handwritten instruction sheet in Gibb's scrawl. Luckily, they were all adept at reading it and Tim felt a little bit of tension release when he noticed what it was. They were investigating the Gang. Unofficially of course, but still, they were investigating and despite having to be covert about it, Tim knew that the team wouldn't let him down and that eventually, the situation would be resolved…hopefully, without bloodshed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Oh please. You're here to protect me, not to question where I choose to go. Now, I'm going to Washington DC to be with my family and if you have to call that in, then fine! Call it in, but all I ask is that you contact Agent Gibbs and not my grandson because I want to surprise him." Penny fixed NCIS Special Agent Bartlett with her firm gaze and had a moment of satisfaction at the nervousness she saw there. It was wrong, she knew that, but the man had been fervently arguing with her about leaving.

"Ma'am…"

"Young man, what have I told you about calling me that? It's Penny. Not Penelope; not Ma'am…Penny."

Agent Bartlett nodded tersely and sighed. "Penny. Look, this is not a game and it is dangerous. I can't allow you to get on a plane because there are too many factors that could be classified as a security nightmare."

"Then we drive." Penny said resolutely. "Honestly, it's two hours away in a car and it would take that just to get through everything at the airport. I know as well as you do that the car you have to transport me is fitted with bullet resistant glass and has GPS tracking on it. Come on, Andy. Please?"

Andy's resolve broke at the plea and he reached into his pocket to get his phone out. "Okay. I'm going to ring Gibbs and god help me if he says no because you are a logistics nightmare, woman!"

Penny laughed heartily and patted his hand. "Tell you what, you dial and I'll speak to him. If you think about it, it makes more sense me being there because I'll have more people protecting me and will more than likely be safer." The gleam in her eye made Andy smile slightly and he handed his phone over to Tim's fiery grandmother.

"Actually, that's not true. The gang is based in Washington so they have more of a reach there. It also means that resources are more stretched."

"And the carved wooden sun that was found propped up on my windowsill last night begs the question on how it got there when there was supposed to be someone watching my house. Honestly, I have no idea how I'm going to protect your colleagues with this one because either way, someone shouldn't have been able to get that close to my house."

Andy cringed and knew that the chewing out he had given the Agents on the nightly protection detail would not compare to the one that Gibbs would give. Penny had actually provided them all with a place to stay which suited everyone all round because they could be close if it all went to crap. "Just call him and tell the truth. We're gonna get it anyway, so you had better not lie. You know, the guy is like a dog with a bone and will find out eventually."

"Hmm…" Penny agreed hit the call button to the phone number Andy had selected. She listened to the ringing on the other side of the phone and was about to hang up when she heard the familiar, gruff voice.

"Gibbs."

"Jethro." Penny could imagine the narrowed eyes at her chipper voice and smiled warmly. "I have something that I would like to discuss with you."

"Penny? Where's Bartlett?"

"Relax, Jethro. He's right here next to me and the bulldogs you have on my doors are all in position. I want to talk to you about something…well not exactly talk. I want to tell you something."

"And what's that, Penny?" Penny grinned and shook her head. The one thing she liked about Gibbs was the fact that he was so blunt and never beat around the bush. It was a quality that Tim's grandfather – God bless his soul – had held when he was alive, and she admired it.

"I'm coming to DC to be with my family. There's nothing you can say to stop it, because truthfully I'll be much more comfortable knowing I was with my grandchildren."

"No."

Penny huffed slightly. "And what makes you think you can stop me?"

"I can't but you'll be better off somewhere we know you are safe."

"Jethro, I will be safer with you and my family than I am here. Look, Andy found a wooden sun propped up on my windowsill this morning. It was inscribed on the back and from the reactions of your men, it must have come from that gang that is targeting Timothy. If they can get through your men to do that, then what else are they capable of?"

She sighed at the curse on the end of the phone and waited for Gibbs to compose himself before pushing.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Gibbs barked back at her. "Where's Agent Bartlett now?"

"I told you. He's standing right next to me."

"Good, then you can tell him that I want both him and his team answering to me as soon as you get here." The line went dead and Penny handed the phone back to a worried looking Special Agent.

"I'm sorry but I have to get to my family and like you say, he's going to find out. If anything, it's an integral piece of evidence, is it not?"

Andy nodded with a sigh. "Yes, Ma'am, it is and don't worry, we would have handed it in for forensics anyway."

Penny smiled softly and with a pat to the young man's arm, she made her way up to her bedroom to pack for her trip.

*****NCIS*****

"MCGEE!" Tim jumped at the Boss' bellow and looked up to watch the man storm across the squad room.

"Yes, Boss."

Gibbs stopped in front of his desk and glared at his youngest Agent. "Apparently Penny thinks she should be here, so she's on her way."

Tim frowned. "What? No! Boss, it's not safe…"

"No safer than being where she is right now. Someone put a wooden sun on her window."

That piece of news took a moment to sink in and Tim found himself at a total loss as to what to say. His eyes widened once the news had sunk in and he started to fumble in his pockets for his phone.

"McGoo, what are you looking for?" Tony had made his way over with Ziva and the whole team was currently watching Tim panic as he looked for the one thing he usually had directly to hand.

"My phone. I gotta ring Sarah." Tim replied tersely. "She's still at your house. Right?" he demanded at Gibbs, not really caring about his tone of voice at the moment.

"Yeah, McGee. She's right where we left her this morning." Gibbs replied dryly. "I warned her to stay put no matter what."

Tim nodded and dialled his sister's number. After a while, he snapped it closed and started to grab his gear. "She's not answering. Boss, I need to get over there." He started to move out but was stilled by a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, it's Gibbs. Is Sarah still there?...yeah…okay, have someone stay with her in the living room and get your team to do a recon round the outside of the house…well if you think someone got in, then we've got an issue." Gibbs snapped the phone shut and pointed at Tim's chair. "She's there. She's safe. Let's get back to the case. Tell me what you've got."

With a huff, Tim sat back down and glanced up at the balcony to check he was clear. With a nod towards the plasma, he pulled up the information he had collated on the Fai gang.

"The Fai gang appeared in DC back in 2006 from Thailand, and soon made their mark on the criminal underworld by initiating gang wars against what they perceived as their rivals. The Chinese and Italian gangs went quiet for a while but started to fight back against Fai, which caused chaos back in 2008. The influence the Thai gang has gained within the criminal underworld, has been strong ever since and they now control the drug and weapons scene."  
Tony glanced at the newspaper clippings on the screen and frowned. "I don't remember that. Hell, I didn't know they existed until all this happened."

"NCIS didn't have any dealings with them until recently." Tim replied quietly and clicked the mouse so that another document appeared on screen. "This is a report from the LEOs that headed the investigation. They did extensive research and Fai eventually linked back to a big drug runner in Thailand called Chailai Boontham. I dug around into a potential connection to our guy and it turns out that Chailai is Gan's mother. There are divorce papers that list professional discord as the reasons behind the split between Gan's mother and father."

Gibbs flicked his head towards the divorce documents that were now displayed. "Do we know who the father is?"

Tim nodded. "Yes, Boss. The name was listed on the divorce papers. The father is Niran Bootham and he was investigated by the Thai version of Internal Affairs for his potential part in the drug trafficking."

"Internal Affairs?" Ziva asked softly. "Then that would mean he's in law enforcement."

"He was the director of the Thailand Police between 2000 and 2008. He retired that year and that's when the trail goes cold. It's like he disappeared."  
Gibbs huffed. "No one disappears, McGee. Find him!"

"Boss…"

"Gibbs. My office. Now!" Everyone looked up to see Vance standing at the balcony looking furious. "The rest of you are supposed to be working cold cases. I expect a report on your findings by the end of the day."

With a glare at the Director, Gibbs moved to his desk to grab his coffee. "You heard the man. Get to work." He left the squad room and climbed the stairs two at a time, leaving everyone to work on the cold cases they'd been given. Tony was the first to break the silence once the Boss had disappeared into Vance's office.

"We really gonna work on cold cases?"

"What else are we supposed to do, Tony?" Ziva asked. "We have to file reports by the end of the day."

Tim started typing on his machine and after a moment, his teammates' computers dinged. "Probie, what's this?" Tony asked as he opened the file and read through.

"That's your report for the case you're working. The Boss let me take the files last night and I spent a few hours going through the basics. It isn't much, but it is enough to show a day's worth of work. We figured it would leave us free to work the Fai case without Vance finding out. Guess that's a moot point now."

Tony sat back in his chair with a grin and put his hands behind his head. "Probie, man you are the best! Okay, now the big wig knows, we need to be careful. You heard the Boss, let's find the father!"

Ziva grinned slyly and nodded her thanks to Tim before working on the case once more; the very case that they were covertly trying to solve before one of them got hurt.

*****NCIS*****

"Gibbs, you wanna tell me why you're working on this? I told you the Fai case was being dealt with and all you have to do is keep Agent McGee and his family safe." Vance sat down in his chair and glared at his Team Leader. "Are you purposely trying to bait me?"

"Nope. We all feel better knowing what's going on Leon. We can't protect each other from a situation if we don't know what it is." Gibbs stood glaring back at his Boss. "Leon, you knew I wouldn't let this lie."

"Damn it, Gibbs. Just once I'd like you to follow orders." Vance sat back in his chair and huffed out a slight laugh. "Should have known you'd disobey me once again."

"I just wanna keep my people safe, Leon."

"Has it crossed your mind that by investigating you are quite possibly putting them in more danger? Why can't you just let Balboa's team deal with it?"

Gibbs smirked but didn't say anything.

"Right." Vance paused briefly before leaning down to open his desk drawer. He tossed a file marked classified down on the desk. "I've been trying to cut through a lot of red tape with the Thai government and managed to get somewhere with information on the gang. It turns out they're small; smaller than you would think considering the pull they've had over the years. In total, the known members only amount to forty and among those forty, thirty are here illegally. In that file is a list of names."

Gibbs sat down and opened the file. "How can we be sure that this is it? Come on Leon, you can't be naïve enough to think that everyone's going to be listed."

"The gang is a family affair and the one thing that is prevalent in Thailand is the fact that they don't let outside members in. The father went missing a few years ago, and truthfully, any attempt at finding him has been futile. Only problem is, he seems to have financial movement but it isn't localised and oddly enough, a bulk of the finances are handled in DC, making me think he's here. Maybe Gan isn't the key player here, but answers to his father."

"Maybe." Gibbs agreed. "Leon, we need to work this. Let my team be useful."

Vance nodded. "You work it, but it stays out of official reports. SecNav has ordered a complete stand down for your team regarding field work. In effect, you have all been relegated to cold cases for the duration and that's what will be shown in any report. Unofficially, liaise with Balboa and work together to figure this out."

"Understood." Gibbs stood up and walked out of the room with the new file in hand. Hopefully, with the director on his side, they'd be able to work the case a little bit more freely and finally get the closure they needed.  
_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Once Gibbs left the squad room, Tim lasted about ten minutes before he found himself struggling to concentrate on any of the searches he was doing. It was tough going, and not being able to at least stroll out on his lunch hour or go for coffee was driving him crazy. He made sure his computer carried on searching through the financials and stretched his aching back before moving to the window to look over the Anacostia River and the naval yard. It wasn't the same though, usually he'd go and sit at one of the benches with a coffee and take time just to regroup and get his breath back when things got tough. Now, all he could do was long for that solitude and imagine that he was out in the warm fresh air rather than in the cloying orange environment of the NCIS building.

Gazing out at the sun shimmering on the water, Tim found himself getting lost in his thoughts. He sighed with a longing when he saw a young couple sitting on the bench that he liked the best and watched as they ate lunch and talked. The bench was actually favoured by quite a few people on the Yard; it was rarely unoccupied and was something so innocuous and innocent, but right now out of his reach. Huh, funny how bad you want something when you can't have it, he thought to himself and thought about going to the break room to get himself a mug of the dishwater they called coffee. He grimaced and shook his head. The situation wasn't bad enough for that, but it would provide a little bit of the soothing comfort he knew so well. Instead of the gentle waves lapping against the bank and the birds chirping in the trees, he had the humdrum of the huge office the MRCT shared. All four of the team sat in the middle of a vast space surrounded by other teams busily working their cases and chattering away in a noise that could only be likened to a low drone. It wasn't what he needed though. He needed peace; peace to think and try to figure out what to do because recent events had him seriously considering handing himself over to the people that were terrorising the ones he loved.

"Dollar for them, McGee." Tim smiled at the sound of Ziva's voice and tried hard not to correct her. It was fruitless and it rolled off his tongue easily.

"Penny, Zee, but you can have them for free."

"Penny? She is not here, McGee. I believe she is on the way to Gibbs' house, is she not?"

The confusion on Ziva's face and the sheer naiveté of the question made Tim laugh softly. "She should be there in an hour. The saying is Penny for your thoughts."

"Oh, I see. Where would I be without you to correct me." Ziva grinned and stood beside her friend to offer some degree of support. She sighed happily and nudged Tim with her shoulder. "You know Gibbs won't be happy to see you standing near the window like this."

"I know but I'm safer here than anyone else."

"Not if there's a sniper." They both turned to see Gibbs standing there with a fresh coffee in his hand. "Sent someone out when I came down. Yours are on your desk."

"Thanks, Boss…" Tim paused and frowned. "How long have you been back down here?"

"Long enough to see you two talking. Get back to your desks."

They both walked back to their desks and settled down with their drinks. At least he could have a halfway decent coffee, which had to count for something. After a couple of minutes of savouring his drink and checking the searches, he glanced up to see Gibbs standing at his desk looking down at him.

"You okay, Boss?"

"Should be asking you that." Gibbs replied dryly. "You wanna tell me how you're really doing?"

Tim shrugged. "Better now that Penny is on her way here and I can help keep an eye on her but I'd rather this situation got resolved soon. I can't keep hiding away and the people I love shouldn't have to live in fear of leaving their house."

"No they shouldn't, but until this threat is neutralised we can't take any chances." Gibbs sighed heavily, feeling slightly uncomfortable at having to console Tim the way the kid so desperately needed. "We'll get through this, Tim. We always do." He walked round so that he was standing beside Tim's chair and laid a hand on his Agent's shoulder. It was a brief show of physical support, but even that seemed to make Tim feel better. He nodded his thanks and offered a small smile before Gibbs made his way back to his desk to read the file he'd been given by Vance.

***NCIS***

Penny had enjoyed the drive to DC and truth be told, she liked the spunky young agent protecting her. Even Andy hadn't been able to keep up the professional demeanour and was soon laughing and joking as he drove his charge to special Agent Gibbs' house.

"We're nearly there now." He said to Penny. "When we get there, you're going to be taken in by my colleagues while I get a status report from the agents on Sarah. Don't stop to talk, don't…"

"I know, I know. Straight in. Go to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200." Penny replied cheekily. "I know the routine because you've told me at least three times since the first Washington DC sign."

Andy laughed loudly and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I have and for good reason. I have it on good authority that you're a game old bird and have a habit of doing things your own way."

Penny huffed and gently slapped him on his arm. "Ma'am? What have I told you about that?"

"What? You don't mind the game old bird comment, but Ma'am gets your goat?"

"Hell yes! Young man, I am old enough to be your grandmother and I'm feisty so there's truth in that comment."

The laughter in the car was loud as they pulled up to Gibbs' house, but the two occupants soon sobered as they pulled up behind the car that had led them to their destination. They waited for the other car to pull up behind them so that the four agents could escort Penny into the house. "You've got the vest on?"

"Of course." Penny confirmed and stepped out of the car when indicated by the other team members. Andy watched as they hustled her inside and didn't release the breath he'd been holding until she was safe and ensconced inside the old house. Pulling out his phone, he turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.

"Gibbs, it's Bartlett. We've arrived and Penny is in the house."

"Good work. I want you and your team to stay with the people already there. Keep those women safe at all costs, you got that?"

"Yes sir. I understand." He hung up the phone and made his way inside to liaise with the team leader of Sarah's protection detail.

***NCIS***

Penny and Sarah were sitting at the table three hours later talking about the events that had led them to this point. They had already been through the normal day-to-day chitchat about their lives and what they were doing now, but the conversation had soon drifted towards the situation at hand and had taken a more sinister turn.

"So…" Penny eyed her granddaughter warily. "No plans for escape or anything else that would satisfy your rebellious streak?"

Sarah looked up from her hot chocolate and grinned when she noticed the amused glint in Penny's eyes. "Oh yeah, I wonder where I get that from." She replied with a laugh but soon sobered. "You know, I just can't help but think that Tim will do something stupid to keep us safe."

"He will. No doubt about that. The thing with our Timothy is that while he seems straight-laced and by the book, his rebellion shows in different ways. His fault, and I can't really call it that when I think about it, is that he's fiercely loyal. He'll do what he can to keep us safe and if that means running rampant with his ideas of bravado and ignoring what we tell him, then that's what he'll do." With a sigh, Penny brushed her hair away from where it had fallen in her face. "That's where we'll have to make sure he doesn't act the fool; and yes, we will get Gibbs involved if we need to. He'll tether himself to your brother if the need arises."

Sarah nodded her head, took a sip of her drink and frowned. "I know. That's a given. Penny, how did you get so good at reading us? I mean, no matter how much time passes between seeing me and Tim, you just know. It's freaky!"

"You're my grandchildren and as much as you deny it, I can read you and Tim like a book. You two are creatures of habit and never change though you do manage to reign in your temper a bit better than you used to."

"Thank Gibbs and the team for that. I got into trouble a few years back and I learned the hard way to stop being so damn stubborn and bitchy with the people that are helping me. Tim…He…" Sarah paused briefly. "He nearly handed in his badge for me. That's something I would never want him to do because he loves that job, but that's what he did. He would give up everything to make sure I was okay and that was humbling. The only problem is, I didn't see it till a few weeks later and treated him like crap for a while."

Penny placed her hand on Sarah's arm to soothe her. She could tell that her granddaughter was getting upset at the memory and didn't want to add to the stress the young woman was already feeling. "You asked how I knew you so well? Well, I spent a good deal of time looking after the two of you when you were growing up. Much to your father's chagrin, I encouraged you both to do what you wanted to do and not what he thought was your destiny. Your mother tried, bless her. She tried to stop him being so strict with both of you, especially Tim, but it didn't work. As soon as your brother told the Admiral that he wasn't joining the Navy, things between them crumbled and their relationship suffered. That's where I stepped in and supported Tim. He needed that justification that what he was doing was right."

"I remember. Daddy and Tim didn't speak for over seven years."

Penny nodded. "I know. Every generation in the McGee family has Navy men in there. Your father pinned his only hope on his son because in his eyes, women shouldn't be in combat. They shouldn't join the military. What can I say? He is horribly traditional like that and unfortunately gets that from your grandfather. Personally, I think your grampa saw me as a challenge and that's why we fit so well."

"You really did." Sarah agreed. "I miss him you know."

Penny reached over and cupped Sarah's pretty face lovingly. "I know you do sweetheart. I do too. He was a good man who wanted nothing but happiness for his family. Tim is his double in many ways and that worries me slightly. It's wonderful, but frightening because both of them would do anything to make sure we are safe."

"Yeah…" Sarah trailed off when Andy walked in, gun held aloft as he surveyed the area.

"Everything okay in here, ladies?"

"Everything's fine. Andy, what's going on?" Penny asked.

"Someone tossed a brick into the yard. It might be kids, but I don't want to take any chances. Can you both make your way down to the basement until told otherwise."

Both women made their way downstairs leaving Andy and the protective Agents alone to evaluate the threat. Little did they know that the brick had been inscribed with a sun; the same sun that the Fai gang favoured for their tattoos.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tim ran to his car with his protection detail following hot on his heels. He knew he should wait for them, but someone had thrown a brick into Gibbs' front yard; a carved brick and that put him on edge. He paused just shy of his beloved Porsche Boxter and frowned at the sight of a wooden carved sun sitting there on his hood. Without thinking, he picked it up and gasped when a series of small needles shot out and punctured his hand.

"McGee!" Gibbs shouted and watched with horror as Tim gasped and dropped the wooden sun. The team leader was assaulted with memories of the Day of the Dead dolls that were used as a threat by the Reynosa cartel. "Hold up!"

"Boss…" Tim said loudly. "I think…I…"

Tim turned and looked at his Boss with a shocked look on his face. That look was one Gibbs knew so well and he felt his heart drop. He reached Tim and saw what the kid had held in his hand and reached out to pick it up. With a gasp, Tim pulled Gibbs' hand away and shook his head.

"No! There's….It stabbed me. There are needles in this thing." Tim pulled the sun away from his hand with a hiss and dropped it unceremoniously to the floor. "They planted this on the hood of my car. We need to check everyone…everyone else's…I don't feel so good." Tim staggered back and swayed where he stood.

"McGee!" Gibbs cried and lurched forward to keep Tim from spilling to the floor. "Damn it! Sit down. You! Call an ambulance and get Ducky down here!"

"Ducky?" The agent assigned to protecting Tim replied.

"Dr. Mallard. Get him down here!" Gibbs watched as another agent bent down to pick up the weapon and shot his hand out to stop him. "Don't touch that! It's got needles in it and we don't know what's on them."

The agent stepped back and nodded sharply before pulling out his phone and calling for the medical help that Tim desperately needed.

***NCIS***

"Family of Special Agent Timothy McGee." The doctor walked in frowning and stepped back with shock when the whole waiting room bustled with activity. "Whoa! Hang on, who is the medical proxy for my patient?"

Gibbs stepped forward with ducky and Penny. "We are." He said gruffly and gestured to his team, Jimmy and Abby. "They're his friends and he won't mind them listening in."

"I think given the circumstances he might." The doctor replied calmly. "I would feel more comfortable doing this in private."

Penny crossed her arms and frowned at the doctor. "I don't care what would make you feel more comfortable, just tell me how my grandson is!"

The doctor sighed heavily. "Okay, but this goes against what I feel is right. Firstly, can you tell me whether Agent McGee has had a drug related problem that you know of?"

Gibbs glared at the doctor. "Well if you mean being targeted by a gang that is known to deal with drugs, then yeah but he doesn't take them. He's not an addict and this was a weapon designed to inject something into him."

"Oh. Well that makes me feel a bit easier. The drug that he was injected with was heroin. He was given a huge dose and when he arrived his breathing was laboured and his pupils were small pinpoints. Now, he has gained a little bit of awareness back thanks to the Naxalone, but the amount of heroin in his system will require a few more doses so we're going to keep him overnight to observe him and make sure it's out of his system."

"So he's going to be alright?" Sarah asked quietly. "Are there any lingering effects"

"For the next couple of days he'll be prone to intestinal cramps and constipation. Unfortunately, you need to keep an eye on his bowel movements but it's rare that complications arise."

Jimmy nodded and hummed slightly. Everyone turned to him and glared. "Oh..sorry. I was…I'm just…Um…"

"Mr. Palmer. May I suggest that if you don't have anything useful to say, then you refrain from saying anything at all?" Ducky said impatiently.

"Yes, Dr. Mallard. I was just thinking about the complications and the fact that McGee won't like us monitoring that particular function."

"What function Gremlin. Are you sayin' we have to make sure Probie poops?"

Ziva chuckled and nodded towards Tony. "You would be the perfect candidate here. What better job is there for a poo boy? Don't forget your bucket."

Both Tony and Ziva received a headslap for their antics and stood rubbing their heads.

"McGee can do that himself!" Gibbs snapped and turned back to Jimmy. "Palmer!"

Jimmy jumped and gave a curt, nervous nod. "Blockage. In some extreme cases, heroin overdose can cause the bowel to spasm and blockages to occur in the Ileum. It's um…it might be accompanied by some pretty explosive stomach disturbances if there's no blockage and in that case, the only thing for Tim to do is ride it out."

The doctor nodded his agreement and jumped in before anyone else could speak. "Fortunately, there's a very small percentage of treated patients that require hospital admission for overdose. It doesn't mean he shouldn't be watched for pneumonia, noncardiogenic pulmonary edema or any other complications that may arise."

"I shall be on hand to watch him." Ducky sighed heavily. "Doctor, How is he now. You said he's still slightly out of sorts, but what's his condition?"

"Stable and he's breathing on his own. There's no sign of any complications and respiration rate has increased. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go and get him transferred to a room for the night."

"He'll need a guard on his door at all times, Doctor and his Team leader will want to be there in the room with him." Vance walked in carrying a briefcase which he handed over to Gibbs. "This is non-negotiable."

"It's not hospital policy. I can authorise the guard on the door, but the patients must come first and he needs to rest in order to regain his strength. Lord knows he's going to need it the next few days."

"Oh come on. The boss is a functional mute and won't disturb Mcg…OW! Thanks Boss."

"Like I said. It's non-negotiable." Vance stated succinctly. "Now, Doctor, you go and get Agent McGee settled and take his grandmother and sister with you."

"Now look here…" The doctor's anger started to rise at being undermined in his own hospital. "I cannot let you…"

"You can, and you will unless you want me to go above your head to the SecNav. Bethesda is still a military hospital and he does have some pull with your administration here. May I suggest that rather than arguing with me, you go and make sure my Agent is okay. I've already taken the liberty of posting two agents on the door for security."

The doctor huffed and stormed out of the room. It was clear that he didn't like the situation but there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

"Penny, Sarah, Tim is down the hall in a private ER room. I need to talk to the team and would appreciate it if you'd go with Agent Bartlett, he'll take you to Tim."

"Of course." Penny responded softly and gently grasped at Sarah's hand. "Come on sweetheart. Let's go sit with our wounded soldier."

"Don't let him hear you call him that." Sarah quipped as she walked out of the waiting room. Everyone waited until they were out of ear shot before talking and demanding to know what was going on with the case. Vance held up his hand to still them and nodded his head curtly towards the briefcase.

"Intel. Apparently Fai has got a building that serves as their HQ in Baltimore. It's right near the shipping port so they have good access to small ships and yachts to smuggle in their weapons and drugs. I want you and your team to work with Balboa on this tomorrow. Right now, concentrate on getting McGee home and settled."

Gibbs frowned and pulled out his glasses. Looking at the maps, he could pinpoint exactly where Vance had suggested. "You sure?"

"LEOs have had it under surveillance for a few months now. They're just about ready to move in so SecNav has intervened on your behalf to over-ride their case. Surprisingly, they've agreed to go in as backup for you as long as they get the collar on the case they've been working."

Gibbs nodded but it was Ziva that spoke first. "Why Baltimore. That's about an hour away from DC."

"No docks or shipping ports in DC, Zee. What I don't get, is why they're here in DC when they've got the setup over in Baltimore." Tony looked just as confused as Ziva when he asked the question and was obviously struggling to see the connection.

"DC's the capital." Vance explained. "Baltimore's good for bringing in the goods and setting up trade with the small town gangs and criminals, but DC is a big city and has been known to be a central point of trade before now. It might have something to do with status as well. If they say they've infiltrated the criminal underground of the capital, then back home that'll put them in good stead."

Silence reined in the room as they tried to take in the information they had been given. It was a lot to process and they were that one step closer to closing down the gang that was threatening them.

"We can't move in just yet though." Gibbs said succinctly. "We've got nothin' just yet."

"Nothing? Gibbs, we've got enough to move in on them, but I want to make sure that we can put a pretty big dent in their organisation. Unfortunately, that doesn't get them off our boy's back."

Gibbs nodded. "DiNozzo, Ziva, you two take the case and go through the intel. Tim was running background checks before we got the call and didn't shut his machine down. Keep an eye on them because they might help."

"Boss, we might not be able to get into McGoo's computer. If he's locked it…"

Vance pulled a business card out of his wallet with his pen and started to scribble something down. He handed it over to Tony with a soft glare. "I know I can trust you with this."

"What is it?"

"It's my password to get into the system. It's one of the benefits of being Director of a Government agency. My password is an administrator one and will open his computer. I will, however, be changing it first thing tomorrow, so do what you have to do tonight and do NOT divulge that to anyone."

Tony nodded his thanks and grabbed his coat off the back of the chair before heading out with Ziva. He paused at the door and shot a look back at Gibbs.

"I'll let ya know." Gibbs replied knowing Tony was asking him to update him on Tim's condition.

"Thanks Boss." They finally left Gibbs there with Vance, Ducky and Jimmy.

"Jethro, where is Abigail?" Ducky finally asked with a frown. "I would have thought she'd be here."

"I left Miss Scuito running the evidence. She's going to get back to me with her findings and has given her security team express instructions to bring her here as soon as she has finished with everything."

"What evidence does she have?" Gibbs asked. He knew there was now 3 pieces of evidence that needed to be run, but he wasn't sure exactly how much she was processing.

"All of it. Two wooden suns; one used as a weapon and the brick with the carving."

"That a good idea? Tim was hurt by that weapon."

"Gibbs, she's the best." Vance sighed when he heard the familiar sound of thudding getting nearer. "And it sounds like she's here now."

Abby rushed into the room and threw herself at Gibbs. "Gibbs, Gibbs, tell me Timmy's okay. He's okay right?"

"He's gonna be fine, Abs." The team leader soothed and held on tight. "Did you finish with the evidence?"

Abby nodded against his shoulder before pulling away and handing over a file that she'd compiled. "You're not going to like the results. There's something hinky in there that just doesn't add up at all."

Gibbs took the file and opened it up. The first report was on the weapon and it didn't hold anything that they didn't already know. According to Abby's findings, the device was hollow and ten prefilled chambers containing heroin were arranged in a circular pattern. The needles were deployed when Tim picked it up and the pressure that kept the failsafe deployed was released. "There was no way the needles could have missed him."

"No. they were too close together. It's ingenious really." Abby confirmed.

"Brutal if you ask me Abigail." Ducky interjected. "I can safely say that, in my mind, this is a message. They didn't administer enough to be fatal, but enough to be classified as an overdose and be potentially fatal. Should they have wanted to kill Timothy outright, then why not use something more definite or give him a higher dose?"

"Because they want to scare him. They want him to know what their power is and the fact that they know where he is at all times." Vance mumbled. "Damn it! I want these guys, Gibbs."

"Yeah, me too."

"Um…Guys?" Abby stood there looking sheepish, wringing her hands. "There's more. The brick was actually hollow, so I x-rayed it and cracked it open in the ballistics room. Inside, there was a message." She reached over and flicked through to where a letter lay.

* * *

**You think the sun can be hidden? You are wrong. It can't. No matter where you are, or what you do, I will be watching you. I will be the shadow being cast behind you; I will be the blackness of the night and will make sure that every noise makes you doubt your worth.**

**I will not be kept like a caged animal and I hope that by the time you find this, my distraction will be in effect and I will see the sun once again.**

**Happy hunting.**

* * *

Gibbs looked up at Abby before sweeping his gaze over at Vance and knew that the Director must have had the same idea given the fact that he was talking frantically on the phone. The look on his face when he hung up said it all and the Team leader felt his heart drop.

Gan Boontham had escaped.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The roads flashed by in a blur as Gibbs drove Tim home from the hospital. Of course, they were being escorted and the two black sedans, one in front and one at the back, sandwiched them as they drove along inconspicuously. Tim sat quietly in the passenger seat letting his thoughts and emotions pound away at his aching head. He hated opiates and always tried to avoid them when he could. It was nothing medical; no allergy or sensitivity to them, he just hated the way they made him feel and right now, he felt like hell. His head hurt, he couldn't get rid of the desert that had taken root in his mouth and the stomach cramps were driving him insane. A sharp pain shot through his gut making him groan slightly.

"Tim? You alright?" Gibbs had been keeping a close eye on his Agent since taking root beside the kid's hospital bed the night before and to say he was concerned was an understatement.

"I'm fine. It's just cramps." Tim managed to huff out through the pain. He sighed with relief when they passed and let his muscles relax. "The Doctor said it'll be like this for a couple of days."

"I know. You've got your pills?"

Tim reached into his pocket to retrieve the packet of anti-spasmodic medication he'd been given. "I'll take one when we get home…to your house."

"I warn ya, Penny, Sarah and Abs are ready and waiting."

"I don't doubt that." Tim said with a small laugh. He went silent and stared out of the window for a minute before turning his attention back to Gibbs. "Boss, last night, I heard you and Vance talking but I didn't…I don't know whether I heard right or whether it was the drugs."

"Spit it out, McGee."

"Did Vance say Gan Boontham has escaped?" Tim threw the question out there with a heavy heart. If the Gang leader had managed to escape, then it meant the Fai had a longer reach; one that extended into the judicial system. Tim glanced nervously at Gibbs and waited for the older man to speak. After a couple of minutes, he started to feel irate because sure, Gibbs was known as a functional mute, but Tim needed to know what happened and what the consequences were going to be.

"Gibbs?"

"You heard right. I thought you were out for the night when we were talkin. How much did you hear?" Gibbs thumped his palm against the steering wheel and pulled over with a screech. Tim's hands grasped at the seat and he watched as the two agency sedans swerved sharply to park alongside them. Once parked, he turned slightly in his seat. "Boontham escaped a couple of days ago. We think there was a switch when his attorney went in."

"How? Come on Boss, max security isn't easy to get into without the right credentials, let alone escape from. How did his attorney get in and swap places. More to the point, how did Boontham get out?"

"The attorney was Fai." Gibbs said succinctly and looked past Tim's shoulder to the coffee shop across the street. "I need coffee."

"But…" Before Tim could protest further, Gibbs flipped open his phone to call one of the agents in the protection car behind them. He put in an order for his sludge and a cappuccino for Tim. "So much for answers." Tim muttered and winced at the head slap he received.

"Listen to me, McGee. I will tell you what you need to know, but you've just gotten out of hospital and I've been up all damn night."

With a heavy sigh, Tim relented and nodded. Practically everyone at NCIS knew not to talk to Gibbs before his coffee and now was no exception. The doors had closed; normal service would resume with caffeine, a lot of caffeine. He heard Gibbs sigh and It wasn't long before the orders were ready; Tim couldn't take his eyes off the agent currently making his way back juggling six cups of coffee in two trays. He had to laugh when Gibbs' window had to be lowered completely for delivery, as the Boss' coffee cup was huge.

"Got you a trenta, Gibbs, I've seen you go through at least three venti's first thing."

"Appreciate it." The team leader took the coffee and practically inhaled the first gulp. "This a new size?"

"Pretty much. It's been out a few weeks. I'm surprised you haven't seen it."

Gibbs shrugged. "I go in, they hand me my coffee. Don't have to ask anymore."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Tim chuckled softly. "You know, that's the equivalent of a full bottle of wine, right?"

"Yeah? Damn, that stuff will keep me going for a week. Seriously, how do you drink that?"

"Marine Corps. We like our coffee strong enough to stand a spoon up in." Gibbs replied and flicked his head to the agent signalling the end of the conversation. "Alright, McGee. Let's talk."

Tim nodded and took a huge gulp of air. "I get that there was a switch. What I don't get is how he managed to get out of the prison. You said the attorney was with the Fai gang? The lawyer at the trial wasn't Thai; in fact, I'm pretty sure Novachek had no ties to the Fai beyond the case."

"How?" Gibbs asked.

"I looked into his financial history."

The narrowed, steely blue eyes bored into Tim momentarily before Gibbs nodded. "The guy that went in said he was from the same firm as Novachek. Had the paperwork and managed to get through security. The guard outside the door said he was relieved by his colleague."

"And that's when the switch happened?" Tim asked quietly. Gibbs nodded but stayed silent. "So the guard was being paid off by the Fai? It's the only way it could have gone down like that. The fake attorney goes in, flashes his credentials to the guard on duty and once he's in, the corrupt guard relieves him, and lets the switch happen."

"Yup."

"Boss, how far into the system does the Fai go?"

Gibbs shook his head. "I don't know, but Vance is with the guard now, so I guess we'll find out soon enough."

***NCIS***

Vance walked into interrogation and sat down in front of the Guard. He took his time, making sure to stay silent to increase the tense atmosphere within the room; once he was settled, he opened the file he had carried in and pulled out two photographs.

"For the record, state your name."

"Marcus Rothwell." The guard replied shakily.

"And you were a guard at Washington State Penitentiary?" Vance kept his voice even and calm. With every passing second, he could see the sweat starting to bead on Marcus' head and took in the quiver of the man's hands.

"Was? I am a guard at Walla Walla. I…"

Vance cut him off by throwing one of the photographs at the suspect. His almond eyes narrowed dangerously when he stabbed a pointed finger at the photograph. "Take a look! A good look! This is Gan Boontham and he was convicted of murder in the first degree. You helped him escape." The second photograph showed Gan's victim. The pretty woman who's life had been prematurely ended on that fateful night in February. "This is who he killed. She was supposed to be a drug mule for him but refused because her sister died a month before doing the same. She was his cousin and he did that to her. He took a knife to her throat and killed her in cold blood. Is that the kind of man you want out on the streets?"

"No! No…no…" Marcus shook his head. "I…He threatened my family. My wife and daughter were taken on the way home from the school run and they didn't let them go until I agreed to help. They know where I live, damn it! THEY KNOW WHERE I LIVE!" Marcus stood up and slammed his hands down on the table.

"Sit down!"

"They threatened my baby girl. She's three years old and they held a knife to her throat. What would you do? Please, tell me what you'd do?"

Vance sat back in his chair and sighed. "I have kids, but I wouldn't let a known killer back out on the streets. What happened?"

"I agreed to help them. I don't know who they were and didn't get the names but they all had the same tattoo. You know, the sun?" Vance nodded. "They came to my house with photos of my wife and girl and told me that if I didn't agree to help, then my family would be killed. I couldn't let that happen. They've all I've got."

"Focus!"

"Sorry…um, once I agreed, they gave me a phone. It was one that only they knew the number. They…they contacted me three days ago and outlined the plan. All I had to do was relieve my colleague and let Gan switch with his lawyer. They took care of the rest. I promise that's all I have done."

"And that was enough. While I understand the circumstances, you chose to aid and abet in an escape rather than go to someone for help in keeping your family safe. I thank you for being honest and your assistance will be noted when you go to trial."

Vance stood up and walked out of the room, leaving behind him the waning sound of despairing tears.

***NCIS***

Gibbs pulled up outside his house with a sigh of relief. The journey home had been a tough one and the conversation with Tim was one he had hoped to have once the kid was feeling better instead of when he looked and obviously felt like crap. There was nothing he could do about it now though. After turning the engine off, he stepped out but was stopped by his phone ringing.

"Gibbs."

"The guard's family was threatened and he felt he had no choice but to do what the Fai wanted." Gibbs frowned at Vance's voice and could hear the note of irritation that resided in the normally cool tone.

"So he let the switch happen and Boontham walked out of Washington State Pen."

"From what I can tell. All I know is that with Gan on the outside, things are potentially going to step up a notch and if that happens, you all need to be on your guard."

"I know. For now, everyone's at my place. Keep it like that until tomorrow and we'll work something out."

"Agreed. Keep everyone safe, Gibbs."

"I will." Gibbs assured. "What about you?"

"Jackie and the kids are out of town and safe. I took them myself. For now, I'm staying at NCIS to work any angles I can."

"Keep me in the loop, Leon."

Vance promised to do so and said his goodbyes. It was only once Gibbs got off the phone, that he realised how quiet everything was. There was no guard on the front door, no patrols checking the house, nothing. His famous gut stirred and he just knew that something was wrong, very very wrong.

"Boss, where is everyone?" Tim asked quietly from where he had joined Gibbs. The small glance in his Agent's direction told him that Tim's gut was uneasy too. "Shouldn't there be…"

"McGee, stay close. You got your weapon?"

Tim pulled his Sig out of the holster and held onto it ready. "Got it, Boss."

"We're going in through the front. It might be nothing, but I don't wanna take any chances."

They made their way up to the door, carefully watching the area for any danger. It was not ideal, but it was all they could do. As they approached the front porch, Tim spotted a foot barely poking out of the end of the railings. "Someone's down."

They rushed forward and Tim knelt down to the agent he knew as Andy Bartlett. "He's out cold, Boss. I can't see any physical injury."

"He breathing?" Gibbs asked gruffly.

"Yeah." Tim stood up and looked towards the door. "What do we do now?"

Gibbs moved to stand to the side of the door, and motioned for Tim to do the same. Once they were in position, the Boss checked the door and frowned when it opened. He nodded his head curtly towards the opening and made his way in crouched low in a defensive position. Between them, they managed to go into every room clearing the house until only one room remained.

"Clear upstairs, boss."

"That leaves the basement." Gibbs replied and made his way over to the door. They cautiously made their way down and balked at what they saw; Tony, Ziva, Abby, Ducky and Jimmy were all out cold and bound so that they couldn't move when they woke up. Gibbs frowned and ran down the stairs as quick as he could and knelt beside Abby.. Tim followed him down and started to work on Ziva's bonds.

"What the hell happened here? Where are Sarah and Penny?"

"I don't know McGee, but we're gonna find out." He noticed Abby starting to stir and started to tap her cheek. "Hey! Abs, come on, wake up…easy now."

"Gibbs?" Abby was confused and struggled to get her bearings. "Why…we were in the living room when…Oh my God!" She struggled to sit up and glanced at her prone friends. "Gibbs, someone broke the window and tossed something through. It all got a bit fuzzy after that."

Gibbs pulled her into a hug and held her close. "You okay?"

"No…" Abby sobbed.

"Boss." Gibbs turned his attention to Tim and saw that Ziva was sitting up looking dazed. "Looks like everyone was gassed and it looks like the Fai has taken Penny and Sarah."

Gibbs nodded and moved to untie everyone. Luckily, whatever gas had been used was short acting and the rest of the team were waking up before the bonds were off. The only problems were where was Tim's family and what was the gang going to do to them?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Darkness. A pitch-blackness that stole her sight and made the dizziness and disorientation even more prevalent in the small space she occupied. They were moving, she knew that much and there was a warm body with a familiar scent next to her. Penny! It was Penny. That meant they were together but waking up in such a cramped space unnerved her.

Sarah whimpered through the gag and felt Penny move slightly. It was barely enough to give her more contact, but it was there. It was all her grandmother could do to comfort her. She took a moment to take in the sounds that she heard and beyond the low hum of voices, the sound of a car engine running and the fact that she could feel that they were moving, gave away the fact that they had been taken and were on the way to God knows where.

In short, they were in trouble.

***NCIS***

"Here you go, Probie." Tony handed over a cup of tea and sat down heavily next to his friend. "How're you holding up?"

Tim shook his head and sat looking at the drink he'd been given. Strange how a situation born of revenge could turn into something so horrendous that it tore at every fibre of his being.

"Tim, you gotta talk to us, man. We can't help if you don't."

"Nothing can help but getting them back now. They don't deserve this, Tony. I should have just handed myself over to the Fai in the first place. That way you'd all be safe…Penny and Sarah would be safe."

His head jerked forward and he turned in his seat to face two steely blue eyes glaring at him. "I better not hear ya say that again, McGee. You got that!"

"Or what, Gibbs? It's true! I could have stopped this…" Tim's face got wistful. "I could have kept them safe."

"Probie, you did what you could. Nothing more could be done to help any of us. I mean, sure, they've got the upper hand right now, but it doesn't end here."

With a sigh, Tim stood up with his tea and walked out of the room. Gibbs sat down heavily next to Tony. "How're you doing?"

"Better than McGoo." Tony replied dryly. "I'm alright. We just need to get the kid's family back."

"We do." Gibbs stated and handed over the canister that had been launched through the window. "This was filled with some kind of incapacitating agent. They didn't wanna kill ya, so I'm guessing this is another warning."

"Well they got their message across nice and clear this time. What do we do now?"

"Ducky's checking everyone out and once he's cleared you, we're gonna work this case."

"I'm fi…"

Gibbs held up his hand. "DiNozzo, if you say you're fine, I'm gonna head slap you."

Tony backed down and stood up. "I'll go find Ducky then."

"You do that, Tony." Gibbs replied and watched as his senior agent left the room. He looked at the canister in his hand and frowned. What exactly was the gang trying to prove here? They had two opportunities to take out what they perceived as a threat, and both times, they aimed to disarm rather than kill. This did not bode well and he started to wonder exactly what this all meant for Tim.

***NCIS***

Penny was angry beyond measure and despite the situation she was in she wanted nothing more than to find out who had taken the two of them. Oh, she knew the other occupant was her granddaughter, she couldn't explain it, she just knew. She felt the car skid to a halt and waited with bated breath for what would happen next. Would they be killed? Would they be used as bait? What? What was the purpose of them being kidnapped? She listened carefully to the dialogue going on between the men who had just exited the car and someone else, but couldn't make out what was being said. She was not a linguist and sure as hell didn't speak Thai despite going there a couple of times with her husband. She jumped slightly when she heard a 'click' and felt a cool breeze feather across her skin. She could recognise the salty air and the sound of gulls overhead let her know they were near water. Whoever had taken them had opened the door and was taking them elsewhere. The question was…where?

***NCIS***

Abby carefully dissected the device in her lab. There was no music today because the events leading up to this point didn't merit any. Right now, her focus was on trying to figure out exactly what had been used to knock them out; truthfully, it was better that way because the one thing she did not want to think about was where her friends were and what was being done to them. She moved to her computer and sat down heavily while the Major Mass spec did his thing. It was taking a little bit longer that Abby would have liked and she was getting antsy. With a scowl, she stood up suddenly and moved so that she was standing directly in front of her beloved machine. With a glare and hands on her hips, she started to berate it in a way that only Abby could.

"Major, we are going to have a problem if you don't hurry up and identify this compound. You know how important this is, so come on! I need those results and if you can't provide me with them, then I WILL Trade you in for a newer model!"

As if by some weird coincidence, Abby's computer dinged and she couldn't help the small smile of triumph that crossed her face. "I knew you'd understand!" she said and with a flourish, bounced back to her computer and frowned at the results she was reading.

"Kolokol-1?" Abby whispered to herself and opened up her browser. Just as she started the search, Abby punched the dial button of the video calling system. It wasn't long before Ducky's tired face appeared.

"Duckman! I have it! It's Kolokol-1." As she was talking, she found exactly what she needed.

"What is Abigail?" Ducky asked quietly. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid the effects of the gas are lingering on a wee bit."

"The gas. It is Kolokol-1 and was developed by the Russians as an incapacitating agent. From what I can see it's a synthetic opioid developed in the 1970s at a secret military research facility that was known then as Leningrad."

"Leningrad? Then why on earth do our Thai friends…and I use that term very loosely…have it? Unless…"

"I'm thinking they've got some kind of trade deal going on with the Russians." Abby cut in. "It makes sense."

Ducky sighed. "Alright. Abigail, can you tell me what the potential effects of this gas are please. I need to know if there will be any symptoms arising from us all breathing this in."

Abby scrolled down. "Okay, Kolokol-1 was developed specifically to be delivered via aerosol. It says the gas takes effect within one to three seconds and KO's people for two to six hours. Apart from stating it produces hypoventilation that could progress to apnoea depending on the level of exposure and the recipients' tolerance level of opioids. There's nothing else about the lingering effects. I know exhaustion is one of them because we're all feeling it."

"I see." Ducky said sadly. "In that case, I think I'll go and pay young Anthony a visit because we don't know how this has affected his scarred lungs."

"You think it might cause him more trouble?" Abby's voice took on a note of panic.

"I'm sure he will be fine, but it won't do any harm and I can use the time to check up on Timothy as well. In fact, Abigail, would you be able to come down to see me in an hour?"

"Sure thing, Ducky." Abby tore herself away from the screen and sat in front of the camera. "Oh hey! Where's Jimmy?"

"Right here, Abby." Jimmy's voice was distant, as if he was across the other side of the room. "Jimmy, you have told Bree what's going on right?"

"She knows but she's currently on holiday with her parents. They're due back next week." Ducky disappeared and Jimmy appeared in her view screen.

"Good, that's very good. Now, I am tasking you with looking after the Duckman! You got that Palmer? He's looking tired, so make sure he's taking care of himself."

Jimmy saluted Abby and grinned before cutting the connection. That done, all Abby had to do now was report back to Gibbs on what she'd found.

***NCIS***

An hour. That's how long they'd been sitting there in the hard, unforgiving chairs. Whoever had taken them still hadn't taken off the blindfolds though they had at least given them some water. Sarah sighed around the material in her mouth and hoped that someone would find them soon because truthfully, after hearing about the murder from her brother, she was terrified of what would happen to both her and Penny. She could probably deal with taking the punishment herself, but to hear Penny being hurt; the thought was just too much.

Just as Sarah was starting to really panic, her blindfold was yanked off her face and she was looking into the eyes of a tall man, with long hair. She didn't recognise him, but she wouldn't anyway because she'd never been privy to what Gan Boontham looked like, let alone the rest of his gang. She let her eyes trail to the side and saw Penny getting the same treatment. For whatever reason, they could see, though the gags still stayed in place.

***NCIS***

"I got nothing, Boss. There's no emails, no notes, no wooden suns…nothing." Tim sighed and leaned back in his chair with defeat. He'd been trying to track back but the trail was stone cold. "The financials have frozen and it's all gone quiet. It's almost as if ai has gone off grid to antagonise us."

"They're just tryin' to scare us." Gibbs walked over and placed his hand on Tim's shoulder. "We will find Penny and Sarah, McGee."

"Will we? Dead or alive, Boss because I can't lose them. I just ca…" Tim's computer dinged and he trailed off so he could open the email that came through. Gibbs had moved away to his own desk now and he opened the email with trepidation once he saw the email address and recognised the name straight away. He paused just long enough to read the address that was typed under the same image of the sun he now recognised as belonging to the Fai. He was about to tell Gibbs when a warning caught his eye.

Come alone. If you tell anyone, we will kill your family.

Tim frowned heavily and sighed. This was not an ideal situation and he knew deep down he should be telling the team but he couldn't do it. He couldn't risk it. He found his mind warring with itself. Does he tell the Boss and let things get dealt with that way, or does he go it alone to save the people he loved.

"McGee, you alright?" Gibbs called from his desk.

"Huh?...oh yeah, I'm okay. It's just a report from Baltimore PD I asked for. They said they'd sent over what they have on the Fai. I'm just going to look through now." Tim waited with bated breath and sighed with relief when Gibbs nodded.

"Good work, McGee. Let me know what you find."

"Yes, Boss." Tim replied and worried at his bottom lip briefly. He turned back to his machine and started to type away. In that brief moment of the Boss' concern, he formulated a plan in a flash of inspiration. Maybe, he could have the best of both worlds and get to Penny and Sarah alone, all the while letting the team know where he was going. He typed out an email and set it to send two hours from now. That would give him time to get to the docks in Baltimore and do what he had to. If they saw it as martyrdom, then fine, but at least he was giving himself some chance of survival by telling them where they all were.

"I'm gonna go to the break room for a snack. I'll be right back." Tim was rummaging in his drawer and managed to pull out his car keys without anyone noticing. Luckily, since being on high alert, none of the team had taken off their weapons.

"Nutter butters?" Tony asked with a smirk. "Probie loves his nutters."

"McGee, please would you bring me back a soda?" Ziva asked with a soft smile and grabbed her back pack to get her money.

"Sure thing, Zee and don't worry about the money. Anyone else want anything?" He felt a pang of shame at having to deceive everyone, but it had to be authentic, otherwise they wouldn't let him go.

"I'll have a soda too, McGoo. Oh and some of those delicious peanut butter treats you love so much."

"You sure, Tony?" Tony nodded and grinned. "Okay, Boss?"

"Nope. All I want is coffee and I'm not drinking that swill."

Tim huffed out a small laugh and headed out. It was a relief when no one actually paid any attention to him leaving and he was soon making his way out of the building to rescue his family with the hope, that the delayed emails he had sent would reach his team in time.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

This was probably the stupidest thing Timothy McGee had ever done. He'd run through car washes, let himself be taken in by women who stole his ID and there was a long list of other things that he didn't ever want to think about again. On top of the pile of idiotic crap that was going to get him either killed or put him in the path of hurricane Gibbs, was the fact that he was travelling to a warehouse owned by the Fai Gang. He was going in with just his Sig Sauer and the two knives he carried; the weapons that the gang knew he carried thanks to the trial.

"Damn it!" Tim spat out and pushed his foot down on the pedal even harder. His Porsche sped away easily as he weaved through the traffic earning him a few honks for his dangerous driving. He didn't care though; his main priority was getting to and saving Penny and Sarah. He could not bear them getting hurt or being killed because of something he'd seen and fought both legally and physically. The guilt would kill him. He almost sobbed with relief when he saw the signs for Baltimore. He winced when he realised the hour-long journey had only taken half hour and that was bad, very very bad. That meant his two-hour time lapse on the emails wouldn't mean he'd be in the hands of the gang for longer than he meant to be and backup would take at least an hour and a half for his team to reach him.

He forced his head clear and tried to focus on what he was about to do. Losing focus now would be catastrophic and that simply wouldn't do.

***NCIS***

"Where's McGee?" Gibbs asked when he noticed the time. Surely going to the break room wouldn't take forty minutes.

"Break room Boss." Tony replied distractedly as he filtered through his emails.

"He has been gone a long time." Ziva looked over at Tim's desk and saw that his backpack was still there. She didn't know why she was checking because her friend had left for refreshments without it and hadn't been back. "I am going to go and see what is taking him so long."

"Zee, he probably just needs a few minutes to get his head on straight. You know the Probie, he'll be thinkin' about stuff and with a big ole computer brain like his, you never know what's going round in there."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "He should still be back by now." With that, he pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial for Tim's mobile. He waited and listened while it rang out before finally going to voice mail.

"You've reached the voice mail of Special Agent Timothy McGee. I'm sorry I can't take your phone call at the moment, but please leave your name and phone number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Gibbs waited for the beep and felt his anger rise. Just what the hell was Tim up to? "McGee! You went for something to eat half hour ago. Where the hell are you? Call me back ASAP!"

Just as he hung up, Tony looked up with wide eyes. "Boss. You might wanna check your emails."

"Tony, I don't have time for this. When you see McGee, remind him of Rule number 3!"

"Never be unreachable? Okaaay…Boss, right now, I need you to read your emails!" Tony practically shouted at Gibbs landing him a fierce glare. "Glare at me all you want, but we need to get into Probies computer as well."

Gibbs frowned and opened up the email client that NCIS used. It was a secure server that only the government employees had access too; that was, unless you were called Timothy McGee. He had been known to hack into some of the most secure servers in the world. He saw what had gotten Tony so upset and opened up the email from Tim; an email entitled 'I'm sorry.'

"What the hell?" Gibbs opened it up and started to read the email, only pausing for long enough to grab his glasses.

**Guys, I'm sorry, but I had to do this. This email is on a Two-hour delay so by the time you get it, I'll be long gone and will have arrived at the warehouse. I've attached the original email that I received before going for my 'break' and that will explain everything. **

**Please understand my predicament. I needed to figure out a way of saving Penny and Sarah without putting them in danger. They'll kill them if I turn up with NCIS, but I'm hoping you can save them before they get wind of what's going on. **

**Any information you need is the attachment. I've sent an email to the Director and the chief of the Baltimore LEO's so you'll have backup. **

**I'm sorry**

**Tim.**

Gibbs jumped up and tore his glasses from his face. "Grab your gear. Where's Ziva?!"

"I am here. Is something wrong?" Ziva frowned at the activity going on around her and picked up her pack. "What has happened? Where are we going?"

"To get McGee." Gibbs replied gruffly and rushed to the lift.

"McGee? He was not in the break room and I couldn't find him. Where is he?"

"Gone after the Fai, Zee. He got an email and decided to go it alone. Here." Tony handed her the print outs of both Tim's email and the email from the Fai. "Apparently McHero made the decision to sneak out and send an email on a time delay. Lucky for him, he messed up rushing to get it sent and it came through early."

Ziva swore loudly in Hebrew and followed Tony to the elevator where Gibbs was waiting. They were already nearly an hour behind Tim, and they had no idea what they would be walking into.

***NCIS***

Penny glanced over at Sarah and tried to portray as much love and comfort as she could with her eyes. It was all she could do given the circumstances and it broke her heart to know that her precious granddaughter was in so much emotional pain. They heard the roar of an engine approaching before tires squealed to a stop outside the building. She could only hope it was a rescue attempt, but she wasn't holding out much hope. She tore her eyes away from Sarah and looked intently at the main door to the building so she could hope to see who was coming in. Instead, she heard a commotion and frowned when a familiar cry of pain seemed to echo through the space.

Curt, barked orders were shouted and six members of the Fai ran to the door while two of the biggest, burliest men stood guard over the two women. Something was going down and she only hoped that it would not result in their deaths. The only problem was something was telling her she wasn't going to appreciate or like this turn of events.

She wasn't wrong and it was all she could do to stop from screaming when Tim, her gorgeous grandson, was dragged unconscious between two of the men. They dropped him harshly onto the floor and moved aside so someone could move over and crouch down.

"Special Agent McGee. I knew you would come. Apparently your hero complex knows no bounds." Penny watched with horror, as he stood up and kicked Tim hard in the stomach. "Hang him up by his hands."

The two men that stepped aside moved back in to grab Tim and drag him over to a hook dangling from the ceiling. They bound his hands and gagged him, before hooking him up so that his feet barely brushed the floor. Penny couldn't take her eyes off him. His handsome, young face was marred by a small rivulet of blood trailing down from a gash on his temple and the stillness wasn't something she was used to seeing. Her view was blocked by the large man who had kicked Tim and she looked at him with pure hatred in her eyes.

"You can look at me like that all you want. It doesn't faze me." He crouched down in front of Penny. "I am Gan Boontham. I believe you will know of me and the reasons why you are here. Tell me, what will your grandson do to keep you alive? Oh, my apologies, you can't." Gan stood up and pulled off Penny and Sarah's gags.

"You won't get away with this!" Penny gasped through her dry mouth. "They will find you."

Gan walked over to Tim. "They have tried to imprison me, and yet, here I am free as a bird." He ran a finger down Tim's cheek and smirked. "If only you had not gotten yourself involved, Timothy. You and your family would be safe."

"Why? Why can't you just leave us alone? You're free!" Sarah screamed and was rewarded with a backhanded slap across her face. She felt the tears prickle at the sting and hung her head on her chest.

"Why? I have spent years building up this operation. Do you have any idea how hard it is to do that outside of Thailand? My mother and father disapprove of my way of life, but it has served me well. I have prestige, money and control the criminal underworld in both DC and Baltimore. I live well, and fight well and this is one fight I plan to win."

"But you won't." Penny whispered loudly. "You kill us and NCIS won't stop hunting you until you are back behind bars. Chances are you will get the chair for what you have done."

Gan laughed loudly, the horribly harsh sound resonating throughout the vast warehouse. "They can try." He turned to one of his men and bit out some commands in Thai. Penny and Sarah both watched with sheer terror as a machine was bought in and Tim was stripped of his shoes and socks. His slender feet were placed in a bowl of water, and that's when it hit them; they were going to shock Tim.  
***NCIS***

"CAR! CAR! Boss…" Tony was feeling as sick as a dog as Gibbs sped down the highway towards Baltimore. He hated driving in a car with either Gibbs or Ziva, but he'd never tell his Probie that in lieu of the slow jokes he always made.

"Ziva!"

Ziva leaned forward and gave Tony a headslap. "Tony, if you are going to…what's the word? Barf?..." Gibbs nodded curtly. "Barf, please try to use a bag or something. You know, green really is not your colour."

"Funny, Zee. Real funny." Tony sighed heavily. "Okay, what's the plan of action?"

"We go in. We save 'em." Gibbs stated succinctly. "Vance is working on backup."

"That easy huh?" Tony asked. Trust the boss to make it sound so damn easy. "It's not going to be that way you know? Nothing ever works out the way we want it too."

"Quit being so damn cynical, DiNozzo. We do what we can and bring them all home. You got that?"

Tony nodded. "Got it, Boss."

Ziva leaned forward so that she was looking through the two front seats. "How long before we get there?"

Gibbs pointed to the sign for Baltimore, but didn't say a thing. He didn't have to because it spoke for itself. They were close and would hopefully be able to put a stop to this situation…hopefully for good.

***NCIS***

Waking up was never easy. This was the second time in so many days that he'd woken up feeling groggy and disorientated. It was a trend he definitely did not want to develop. The only difference this time was the fact that his hands were tied and he was hanging from something by his wrists. Why were his feet wet? Tim opened his eyes and groaned as light assaulted him. It was too bright and his headache took a step so that pain pounded into his brain making him feel sick and weak.

"Timothy!" He looked over the room and saw Penny and Sarah watching him; they looked worried sick but despite everything that they'd been through, they were alive and so far, unharmed.

"Penny? Sarah? You guys okay?"

"We're okay, Tim. You gotta hold on though, Okay?" Sarah asked through her tears. "You've gotta hold on…"

"Enough!" Gan moved back towards Tim with a nasty grin and nodded a greeting. "Ahh Timothy. Good to see you awake. As you can see, you have failed in your endeavour but I thank you for following directions. I take it no one will be coming."

"No." Tim ground out through clenched teeth. "Just me."  
"Then you are at a disadvantage. You see, you interfered in family business and if you hadn't, then my cousin's body would have been disposed of and I could have used someone else as a drug mule. You see, she was to travel to Thailand the following morning to pick up a small shipment of heroin. For whatever reason, she refused. Refused me! Can you believe that?"

Tim narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything.

"Ah well, what you saw was our persuasive methods failing. After my men…" Gan grinned. "Had their fun, she admitted working with the Police. I couldn't have that so I killed her. That's when you turned up being the hero. This was so unavoidable. Such a tragic way to end, don't you think?"

"Why? What do you want from me?" Tim hissed when his pounding head throbbed unmercifully.

"You? Revenge? A message? I don't know just yet. You see the Fai gang doesn't let anything slow us down. As you can see it is business as usual, only your little stunt cost me in excess of a million US dollars. I was not there to meet a shipment and my client deals only with me. Add the cost of those weapons to the cost of my lawyers, it all added up. I will recoup my losses, but for now, it'll be in blood rather than money."

With a sharp nod, Gan held out his hand and the device that was bought in was handed over. It was crude; a long metal rod attached to a generator with two wet sponges at the end. As bodged together as it was, the torture device was effective. Tim looked at it and heard Tony's voice in the back of his head 'You know, Probie. This reminds me of a movie, "Lethal Weapon 1" where Mel Gibson's character is tied up just the way you are now…'

"Ahhh, I see by your face, that you recognise this machine. I always liked this particular method of torture. You see, the current isn't enough to kill…not outright anyway. It will cause you a lot of pain before your heart finally decides it has had enough and stops beating. I don't plan for that to happen for a while though." Gan moved in and made an order in Thai. That was the last thing Tim remembered before feeling the electricity surge through him, setting every nerve in his body alight.


	9. Chapter 9

Guy's I'm so sorry. This story has been totally finished because it was a part of the WEE exchange on NFA community and I haven't posted due to life being manic. You can put me in the stocks and toss veg at my head if you want, just let me post first he he.

* * *

Chapter 9

Penny cried out when Tim was electrocuted and she watched with horror as the current passing through his body made him stiffen and scream with a pain that no person should ever feel. It was horrible to watch and she knew it was futile screaming at Gan, but it was all she could do. Sarah started to sob as soon as the wet sponges touched Tim for a second time, her heart breaking heaving cries loud in the large room.

"Stop! Please…just stop!"

Gan turned towards Penny and narrowed his eyes. "Why should I listen to you old woman? This is what I wanted."

"You're going to kill him, please stop."

"Not yet. This won't kill him; it will just cause him extreme pain. Pain that he deserves after causing me so much trouble."

"Trouble?" Sarah shrieked. "He did the right thing! You murdered that poor woman in cold blood!"

Gan dropped the machine and ran over to Sarah. With a scowl, he back handed her again. "The right thing? You have no idea little girl. Do not speak of things you do not understand."

"No! Gan…stop…leave her alone." Tim managed to bite out through painful muscle spasms. "It's me…me you want."

That was enough to garner the gangster's attention and he turned back to Tim. "Ahhh, I see torturing your little sister causes you pain. Is it the same for your grandmother? I wonder…is that enough to cause you pain or should I be looking at the emotional torture as well."

"You can hurt them all you like. I don't care." Tim lied. "But ultimately, you're the one that has to answer for your actions."

"Really? I seem to remember them trying to lock me away and yet, here I am." Gan moved to stand in front of Tim and with a swift move, he pulled a knife out of his belt. "You are not the only one to carry a blade. This is one that I bought in Pattaya." He lunged forward and drove the sharp, thick blade into Tim's thigh. Tim cried out in pain before panting heavily against the pain. Somehow, he managed to glance up at Gan.

"That all you got? Tell me, what are you going to do with them after you kill me?"

"That is for me to know. I warned you. The sun cannot be hidden; we will not hide from you. We will always be there, Day or night. As for the truth…Ahh the truth. It hurts does it not? The truth is you interfered in something that you had no right to." Gan replied silkily; his voice taking on a menacing tone. He opened his mouth to say something else when gunfire sounded outside. "What…GO!" Gan ordered and reached forward to grab Tim's head harshly. "Who did you order here?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Tim shouted. His shout was met with a scowl and Gan picked up the electrocution device once again. Tim didn't have time to protest because his assailant lurched forward after flicking a switch and placed the sponge above his heart. The last thing Tim heard was his family's screams and his team's cries as they ran into the building.

***NCIS***

"NCIS! Drop you weapons!" Gibbs cried and fired his Sig. Between the three of them; they had managed to take down at least ten of Gan's men. The team leader heard Penny and Sarah's anguished cries and glanced over at them relieved that they were okay.

"Oh my God! Gibbs!" Ziva cried and started to run towards the place where Gan was torturing Tim. Looking at her friend now; bound and hanging limply from the ceiling hook, she could have sworn Tim was dead. His chest wasn't moving and there were absolutely no signs of life. She rushed forward and shot at the generator rendering it useless. Gan howled with rage and threw the useless weapon to the floor before pulling the knife from Tim's leg and lunging at Ziva. In a fit of pure fury, Ziva shot him through the wrist and wrestled the knife from him. The last thing she wanted to do was shoot him; that was too easy. Her Mossad training kicked in and she tackled him to the floor and grabbed at the knife he had dropped. With practiced ease, she drove the blade into his shoulder and hit him square in face so hard, he fell unconscious. Ziva had a moment of disbelief at how easy it had been but shook it off so she could help Tim.

"Ziva! You alright?" Gibbs screamed.

"Yes, but McGee is not." She turned to look at her team mates and almost sobbed with relief at the small army of NCIS agents and LEO's that had stormed the building while she had been busy. "We need to get him down!"

Tony ran forward with Gibbs and between the three of them, they managed to get Tim unhooked and laid down on the hard, concrete floor.

"He's not breathing. Damn it! McGee you will not die! You got that? You will not die!" Gibbs screamed and was vaguely aware of Sarah and Penny hovering behind him. He pulled Tim's head back and briefly checked his airways before starting CPR. In between his breaths, Tony pounded hard on Tim's chest to try and stimulate his heart.

"Oh no. Timothy fight! Please, please…fight." Penny cried from where she was holding Sarah. "He was electrocuted, Gibbs. His heart…EMT's. They're here!"

Gibbs glanced up after breathing for his Agent and saw two medics running over with their equipment. Once they reached them, he stepped back and let them take over. It was horrible to watch, and after assessing Tim, they ripped open his shirt. Tony gasped at the sight of the burns on Tim's chest but didn't say anything. He just reached over and wrapped his arms around Ziva, who was quietly crying at the scene in front of her.

"Epi push in." One of the medics said loudly to his colleague.

"Okay, push it every 3 minutes…still nothing. We need to shock him." The heart monitor that was attached to Tim showed a complete flat line. "Asystole. Okay, push .3 atropine." As his colleague prepared the drug, he tore open a small tube of conductive jelly and spread it on the paddles of the defibrillator.

"Atropine in."

Gibbs stepped back and huddled Penny and Sarah into his arms. He felt his own heart skip a beat at the cries of 'clear' and the sound of the defib machine shocking his Agent. Turning back, he saw the EMT's checking Tim and continuing with CPR until the unit could recharge.

"Okay, push the epi again…we're charged."

"Epi in."

"Okay, clear!" The defibrillator shocked Tim' again and it took a moment before the loud steady wine of the flat line started to beep. "We have a rhythm."

Gibbs gazed at Tim and sighed heavily with relief. The kid wasn't out of the woods yet, but he was alive; he was with them and that's all that mattered.

"Okay. What's his name?"

"Timothy." Penny replied. "But he likes to go by Tim."

The medic nodded. "Alright, Tim. You did good. Alex, push fluids into him and let's prepare him for transport." It wasn't long before they had Tim on a gurney and were pushing him out towards the ambulance. Gibbs stopped the EMT briefly.

"These two were hostages." He said nodding towards Penny and Sarah. "And they're his family. Can you take them with you?"

"We shouldn't take more than one family member, but if they were hostages as well, then they can both come." They carried on moving out and Gibbs walked Penny and Sarah out behind the EMT's.

"You two go to the hospital with, Tim. We're going to finish up here and we'll be right there."

The ladies both nodded and thanked Gibbs before getting into the Ambulance with Tim. Gibbs ran his hand through his hair and turned to see Tony and Ziva waiting for instructions.

"You two okay?"

"Not really." Tony replied. "But we've got a job to do right?"

Gibbs nodded. "As soon as we're through here, we can go to the hospital." He glanced down at Gan and frowned. "What about him?"

Ziva's eyes narrowed. "What about him?" She spat out with venom.

Gibbs glared at her and despite understanding how she was feeling he knew they had to do things the right way. "Well, Ziva, he needs medical attention. Is there another bus on the way?"

"Agent Gibbs." The team leader turned towards the LEO. "Detective Neil Santos. I've been watching these guys for a while and want to thank you for your help in bringing them down. One of my men has called for buses for these guys and they're not going to be left alone."

"That's good. How'd you know my name?" Gibbs asked.

"Reputation." Neil laughed. "One of my guys remembers the day you stole DiNozzo."

"That was a good day." Gibbs said with a wry smile.

"Detective!" One of Neil's men ran over to them. "There's something you need to see."

"What is it Capaldi?"

"You…just come and look."

Tony and Ziva shared a confused look before following Gibbs and Neil. They were led to a room out back and could see that the padlock had been busted off by one of the men. When they looked inside, they couldn't believe what they saw and balked.

"Who…?"

Capaldi turned towards Tony and nodded. "Good to see ya, DiNozzo. How's NCIS Treating ya?"

"A lot better than the met. Seriously, Capaldi, who is this guy?" Tony couldn't tear his gaze away from the man sitting Indian style at a Buddhist altar.

"My name is Thammaraja Boontham."

Gibbs frowned. "Gan's father?"

"Yes." Thammaraja bowed down low with his hands palmed together before turning. "After the death of my wife, my son kidnapped me from my home and bought me here. He has held me hostage for many years now in order to use my financial status for his own gains. I do not know what has happened but I apologise for Gan. He is a troubled soul with a black heart. We are a Buddhist family, and yet he shunned our religion when he was very small and took a sacred quote to use as his own."

Ziva moved slowly into the room and kneeled in front of Thammaraja. "He has kept you here all that time?" She asked gently.

"No. This is simply my meditation room. They keep me in a locked apartment upstairs. The only time the door is unlocked is for meals, or for meditation. I was brought down here four hours ago and have been praying ever since. I heard the commotion and…Please, was anybody hurt? He takes great pleasure in causing pain and always comes to tell me about his kills. He has already murdered his poor cousin and his brother." The sadness that passed over the older man's face was heart breaking. "He needs to be stopped."

"He will be for good now." Ziva said and placed her small hand on Thammaraja's arm. "He will be treated for his injuries and will be held in custody. Hopefully, this will bring an end to the Fai gang once and for all."

"Fai. He chose that name…it means 'Sun' in Thai and he took that one quote and used it for his own gains. He does not understand the true meaning of peace that Buddha has taught us."

Ziva stood and held out her hand. Thammaraja took it and stood up to make his way out of the prison that his son had kept him locked away in for years.

***NCIS***

Penny and Sarah had been checked out by the ER doctors and deemed healthy bar the bruises on Sarah's jaw. The younger McGee was curled up on the waiting room seats with her head resting on Penny's knee. Penny offered a sad smile and carried on carding her hand through her granddaughter's hair while holding an icepack to her face.

"Penny?" Ducky walked into the room with Jimmy and Abby. "Any news?"

"No. His heart rhythm is unstable, but he's alive. They have managed to tend to the knife wound in his thigh and the burns will be treated but he hasn't woken up yet. They found a gash at the back of Timothy's head that suggests he was hit with some kind of weapon. A gun maybe. They're worried about concussion and his heart."

Abby let out a small cry and put her hand over her mouth. Jimmy frowned and pulled her into his arms to try and sooth her.

"Oh the poor lad. He's a fighter though." Ducky knelt down beside Sarah and gently lifted the icepack. He winced at the bruising and shook his head. "Oh my dear. What did they do to you?"

"They hit me." Sarah replied quietly. "That's all. It's nothing bad, just a bit sore."

Ducky patted her arm gently and replaced the ice pack. "Well keep that on and let me know if you need any pain killers. I'm sure I can rustle a couple up for you."

Sarah nodded and wiped away a tear.

"Ducky, what will happen now?" Penny asked. "Gan…"

"He's here. Apparently he was bought here and is under heavy guard. He will not hurt anyone anymore."

"Damn straight." Gibbs walked into the room with Tony and Ziva and made a beeline for Penny and Sarah. "Hey. How're you two holding up?"

"We're okay. Just worried about Timothy." Penny filled the newcomers in on Tim's condition.

"He'll be okay. The boss didn't give him permission." Tony said sombrely and sat down heavily in one of the chairs. He held out both arms and smiled ruefully when Ziva and Abby took a seat to either side of him and rested their heads on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around them and kissed them both on top of their heads.

"Permission for what?" Sarah asked gently as she sat up.

"To die. If he doesn't listen to the boss, then Gibbs will kill McGoo himself!" Tony watched as disbelief filtered through their faces and grinned. "Hey, don't knock the power of Gibbs! It works. It saved my life when I had the plague."

Penny chuckled through the tears that had started to fall and nodded. "You know, when Tim was younger he always wanted to be in law enforcement. As much as his father tried to convince him otherwise, the boy was headstrong…."

Everyone settled down in the chairs to wait and listen to Penny as she told them about Tim's childhood. It was the best way to relax them while they waited and they soon found themselves laughing at the fond memories of Tim's childhood while the waited.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

Three weeks after being savagely tortured by Gan Boontham, Tim found himself back in the courtroom. He had already given evidence and outlined the threats to both him and his family, and being held hostage by someone wanting revenge so dearly that it almost killed him. Now he was sitting there with his family; both his NCIS family, and his actual family including his mother and father who had flown in when they found out Tim was in hospital.

"Tim, you okay?" Angela McGee took Tim's hands and threaded her fingers through his.

"I'm fine." Tim whispered. "I just want this to be over now. I want to get back to my life."

"You will son." Jacob McGee put his arm around his son. The past few weeks of healing had shown him how stupidly idiotic the feud was and he had let go of his anger and malice towards his son. The relationship had improved as a result, and right now, they were working on becoming a strong family unit once again. Tim sucked in a breath when Gan Boontham was led shackled to the table and stood when the judge and jury walked into the room.

He seemed to phase out slightly during Judge McClaine's speech as she addressed the jury, but snapped his attention back when she ordered the jury's verdict. With every charge she outlined, the speaker for the jury didn't pause or hesitate in delivering their verdict…Guilty. On all counts. There was no reprieve for the Thai gangbanger who had caused so much pain and misery.

Judge McLaine banged her gavel down on her bench and called for order as the courtroom erupted in cheers. Once the commotion had died down, she addressed Gan and his legal team.

"Gan Boontham, please stand." Gan stood up, his handcuffed hands hanging limply in front of him. "The pain and misery you have caused is beyond measure. Not only for the victims of your vengeance campaign, but by the people that fell victim to the drugs and weapons that you traded within the United States. Evidence has shown that your trading partners are terrorists who have unleashed countless attacks on the people of the United States and neighboring countries. Your drugs have caused misery and death to countless families both here and in Thailand and you have consistently murdered and tortured people in cold blood; including your own father. For your crimes, you shall be punished heavily; I am sentencing you to death by electric chair. Due to your links to terrorism, you are deemed a threat to National Security and will be detained at Guantanamo Bay until the day your death sentence is carried out. You will have no contact with the outside world." The gavel went down once again. "Bailiff, remove Mr. Boontham from my courtroom and prepare him for transfer to Gitmo. I want the highest level of security on him at all times. Court dismissed."

Tim almost sobbed with relief and leaned forward. The burns on his chest pulled but he didn't care. It was over and Gan Boontham would pay dearly for what he had done.

"McGee." Gibbs reached over from where he sat behind the McGees, and rested his hand on Tim's shoulder. "It's over now."

"Is it?" Tim whispered. "Boss, what if the rest of the gang want retribution?"

"They won't. The vendetta was Gan's, not theirs."

Tim nodded hoping beyond all hope that Gibbs was right. In all honesty, at least half of the Fai gang had been taken down that day and everything had all gone quiet.

"Mr. McGee." Tim looked up at Thammaraja and offered a watery smile. "Please, I would like to apologise for my son. I understand that it is not enough for what he did, but I feel the need to anyway."

Tim stood up stiffly and held out his hand. "Mr. Boontham, what you have suffered over the years is greater. I am just pleased that we can all move on with our lives now and hopefully rebuild what we have lost."

Thammaraja nodded and shook Tim's hand. "I will be attending the execution and have handed over a list of all the Fai gang members that I know of. Baltimore PD has assured me that they will do what they can to stop them, but truthfully, without Gan I know they are weak. They do not have access to the money or the contacts. Much of his business was attended to directly by him. I believe this is the end of the Fai."

"We can only hope so. If you don't mind me asking sir, what will happen to you now?"

Thammaraja grinned. "I will return to Thailand and start my life afresh. I have spent many years reaffirming my religion and thanks to Gan, all monies I have are either blood money, or illegal. I have handed over control of my accounts to the local authorities and they will handle the money from there. I do have another account that my son didn't get hold of and while I have enough money to get home and live comfortably while I get back on my feet, I have already organised a stay at a Thai Buddhist monastery with the hope of one day, becoming a monk. I wish for peace in my life now…" He paused briefly and pulled Tim in gently for a hug. "And for peace to you and your loved ones."

"Thank you." Tim whispered and pulled away. Thammaraja smiled once again and walked out of the courtroom with hope of starting the new life he dreamt of.

"Way to go, Probie!" Tony cheered happily. "Thanks to you, another villain bites the dust."

Tim shook his head. "Thanks to all of us, Tony. Hey guys, I'm kinda hungry and need to take my meds. What do you all say to dinner?"

Everyone agreed, but it was Ducky that held up his hand and interrupted them. "How about we stop off, get takeaway and make our way back to Jethro's? I would like to check young Timothy over as well and once he takes his pain killer and antibiotic, he will be ready for bed."

Ziva frowned and nodded. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Just as long as it's not Thai food."

Everyone laughed and agreed and soon enough, they were helping Tim out of the courtroom. For the first time in weeks, he was free and could enjoy the second chance at life that he'd been given.


End file.
